How Will HealthCare.gov Fare This Fall?

November 12, 2014

It's no secret that the Obamacare enrollment website HealthCare.gov had its share of problems during last year's open enrollment period. While the site is reportedly stronger this year, there are a number of areas that might pose trouble for the Department of Health and Human Services. Elise Viebeck, writing for The Hill, highlights some of these:

The enrollment period will only last three months; last year's enrollment period lasted for six months, which gave the Obama administration extra time to deal with sign-up problems and enroll people at the end of the period.

The administration has spent less money marketing the enrollment website, which will likely make it difficult to reach a group of uninsured that is already less likely to sign up. Those who remained uninsured after last year's enrollment period are likely long-term uninsured, many of whom are men, minorities or those with language barriers.

Those who did enroll in coverage last year may want to change their coverage during this year's enrollment period. It will be the first time that HealthCare.gov has had to deal with such changes.

HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell has already said that her department expects to have problems, but has said she aims to fix whatever problems arise as quickly as possible.